38:23-5. No impairment to pension rights because of military service

1. No person holding any office, position or employment under the government of the State of New Jersey or of any county, municipality, school district or other political subdivision of the State, or under any board, body, agency or commission of the State or of any county, municipality or school district, who, heretofore and subsequent to July 1, 1940, entered or hereafter, in time of war, shall enter, or heretofore or hereafter in time of emergency entered or shall enter, the active military or naval service of the United States or the active service of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, the Women's Reserve of the Naval Reserve or any similar organization authorized by the United States to serve with the Army or Navy, including service as a member of the American Merchant Marine during World War II declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits, and who, at the time of such entry was or is a member in good standing of any pension, retirement, or annuity fund, shall suffer the loss or impairment of any of the rights, benefits or privileges accorded by the laws governing such pension, retirement or annuity funds; and the time spent in such service by any such person shall be considered as time spent in the office, position or employment held by him at the time of his entry into such service, in all calculations of the amount of pension to which he is entitled and of the years of service required to entitle him to retire; provided, however, that in the event of the death or disability of such person while in such service the pension to be paid such person or his dependents shall be the amount, if any, remaining after calculating the amount of pension that would be paid if such person had continued to hold such office, position or employment until the time of his death or disability and had continued to receive the same compensation as he received at the time of his entry into such service.

As used in this act the term "in time of emergency" shall mean and include any time after June 23, 1950, and on or prior to January 31, 1955.

L.1942,c.252,s.1; amended 1942,c.326,s.2; 1944,c.87; 1948,c.457; 1951,c.21,s.2; 1991,c.389,s.15.